Niobides, born of royal blood

Daughter of the great Tantalus

Proud of her numerous offspring

Held these words

« Prefer the god that you can see

Rather than revere the unseeable ones

My beauty and fertility

Surpass that of the Goddess

Leto, mother of the twin gods

Haste yourself

Praise me

Or my anger is upon you all

»

Indignant, the Mother of the Gods

Apollo and Artemis

Adressed them

« My children, I have been harmed

This mortal forbad my altars

And does not vow you any respect

»

« Cease, said the God of Light, those laments that delay the punishment

»

Near the walls of the city of Thebes

The seven sons of Niobides

Proudly overlaped their steeds

Unaware of their impending death

And Apollo ; and his avenging arm

The awful slaughter began

No male offspring survived

Pierced by murderous arrows

Seven bodies lays

Below the sun

« Leto, feast on my sorrow

Your son killed me seven times

But still I am the greatest

After so many funerals ! »

This excessive bragging

Was fatal to her daughters

Artemis

The vengeful goddess

Made each of her fall

On their brothers's deadly wounds

Withdrawing unfairly

Their final breath

« I admit, you have won

You are the greatest of us

Now let me rest, please

For I have lost all my offsprings

»

Muted by her sadness

Petrified by what she had done

Slowly, her tender skin turned

Into the coldest stone

Her veins became ivory

Her tears, marble

Her last breath was trapped in her

Petrified